Bookrest



Patented Get. 9, 1923.

UNETED stares WILLIIfAM'L. BLAIR, or enrol-rec, ILLriIors.

' BooKR-EsT.

Application filed July -29,

To all whomz'tmag/ concern. 7 i 7 Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. BLAIR, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of- Cook and'State of Illinois, have'inventedcertain new and use ful Improvements in Bookrests, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to reading desks and more particularly 'to certain new and useful improvements in book-supports of the type shown and described, in my appli cation for patent, Serial No. 530,406, filed on Itis the principal object ofthelpresent' invention to provide asnnple arrangement of partsfwhich permits 01" the supporting ori leg-elements of the easel being collapsed or divided 'for'the purpose of placing the de vice in a box or package of compact -form put away in a mensions. V Y V Another object of the invention is to provide means to efiect and maintain an adjust ment of the supports of the desk in order to vary the angle at which the book rest of the same is heldbefore the eves of the reader, and still other obiects reside in certain tails of construction, all of 'whichwill be fully explained in the course of the follow ing description. l 7 H V In the accompanying drawings, in'tl various views of which like parts are simr;

storage place of limited d i-' larl designatedQFigure l represents'a side i Figure 5, an enlarged section on the line' 55, Figure l; and r V Figure 6, an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6, Figure 1. '7

Referring to the drawings, the reading desk consists of a book rest composed of a back-board 5 and a trough-like support 6 at the lower edge thereof.v The book rest is mounted in a slanting positionupon a frame composed of a pair of substantially parallel 1922. :SeriaI na s'zsesv'.

P ss 1 elongatedfeet'? which project forwardly oi the: rest tothe greateripart' of their longitudinal extent Each foot isfmade of a piece of'wirezdoubled and bent to form an open frame the parts Wand 7 'of which diverge from the iorward end ofthe foot, and again approach each other below the slanting-* book-rest The bottom part 7 of each foot is s lightly curved: to engage with a surface upon which'the desk is supported andi it is at its rearward end bent upwardlyin"a' snbf p stantially-upright position. The upper part the'nineteenth day of January, 1922;

7 'of thegi'oot is curved upwardly andits the other, lower part, he supporting frame 7 of 8 which are,

fbac'keboardfoi the book rest by'clevifises- 12 suitable for transportation by mail or to be V U u I "the-book rest j rurthermore includes two U shaped brackets nivotally connected I iththey arms fwhich the forward bracket are shorter thanlon the other, extend down wardly to connect with the corresponding upwardly projecting ends of the two feet.

The extremities of the corresponding ends of the feet and the brackets are bent at right 7 7' angles in opposite directlo'ns,asshownin Figure 3iof the -*dra-wings, and-the'ends are rigidly connected bymeans of couplings 13 which embraceat-heir bent extremities and "are each composed-of twohol'lowed halves rigidly clamped together by'bolts l t "and "nuts 15.

"It will be evident that thegtwoibracket's and the two supporting members thus con nested form together gid'frame which ,The wire ofwhich-the fra n is composed is inherently resilient so that the diverging parts of the feet can be broughtfnearer to.-.

gether in order to-"vary theslant of thebook-support. Ordinarily, i the frame i will maintain the adjusted position otiits parts without the aid of ia steningmeans, owing to its pivotal connection withtlie book rest,

an appliance which not only locks the parts otthe' feet in their relative positions but also facilitates the-adjustment of the same.

The appliance: above referred to consists of a link 16 which is apertured to slidablys 105 but I- have found that in many, instances it was more practicaland convenient to have 1 [it upon the diverging parts of the porting members and which is preferably bifurcated to-facilitate its sliding motion.

It will, beapparent that by sliding the 11 the angle at Which the book. readily varied and maintained.

The feet are Weighted at their forward 7 en's to ov'erbalance the Weight of'a book v supported on the rest and the means provided for that purpose consist of metal tips l2, each consisting; of tWo halves which are ,cessed to embrace the forWa-rdvends of the V ective foot 'ot thesupporting "n ne and which are clamped together by sci ews l8.

In the use of the invention, the reading placed on a chair orbed so as to 'addle the bodyof a person occnpyingtlie same in a sitting or reclining position.

hold the desk in place Without the use. of 'i'astening means and a book may thus be pported at the propei remhng distance ivhich the bookis'held is varied byfsliding theiiinks along the diverging parts of the supporting inen bersot' the device and the latter are readily divided into parts or folded 1; A reading said frame being adjustable.byldcformation to very the slant of the rest,v and means on nks along; the'diverging parts of the feet, rest is held, s

The forwardly i l 9 Weighted feet" am the eyes of thereaderl The angle at' -onnect the complementary halves of their j '7 claimend desireto secure by LettersPat- V desk of the character de-c scribed, compr sing a book-restya frame supporting the rest in a slanting POSLJLHOD,

id deformation. 7 I

scribed comprising a book rest, a frame supporting the rest in a slanting position andincludinga pair of elongated Wire feet which project forwardly of the same, said feet. being adjustable by their inherent re- 'siliei'icy, to vary the slant o i the rest, and

means on the feet adapted to effect and maintain thensaid adjustment." p

3. 3i reading desk otthe character de scribedfcomprising a book rest, a frame sppoiiting the rest in a'slanting pos tion" and includ ota. pair] offelongated wire-feet which pro ect ior vardlv or thesame, and

are composed" of diverging, interconnected .parts, and shciinmlinks onsaidiparts, adapted to adjust their angle of divergence whereby to vary, the slant of the book rest;

4. "A readingdesk of thecharacter describe-d, comprisinga book rest, and col-. j lapsible Wire frame supporting the rest ina slanting position and composed 0i U-shaped il'n'ackcts pivoted won the book rest, feet pro jecting forwardly ofthebookrest and havinge'nd-portions adjacent those of ,Qthe Vbl'itCkOllSQQtIid coupl ngs connectingjjthe brackets and the feet.

1e i'ra ne adapted to eil'e ct and inaintain its" 5. A readingfdesk of thecharacter del i scribed comprising, a book rest, a ire frame adapted to support the rest in a slanting and elevated position and composed of two for- Wardly of the book rest members pivoted.

elon ated foot-members ro ectin on the underside of the bookrest and adapted to be folded upon the 'sa me when (1150011 nected, and couplings fort-he rigid and de-V V tachable' connection oithe pivotgdjm b with the footmeinbers. 7

WILLIAM L. B AIR,

In testimony whereof I'have affixed my signature. 

